Dear Lactnetters,

Hello from Japan.

I would just briefly like to comment that here, in large maternity
hospitals in Tokyo it is not uncommon for babies to be routinely test
weighed as well as have feeds timed.

Test Weighing
Many mothers which I have met feel scared that they do not have enough
milk,since the baby did not "get enough" at the feeding which was
timed.  Others worry that when they go home they can not measure the
baby's intake. We see lots of "just in case" supplementation here.

Timed feeds
Many hospitals strongly encourage timed feeds. There is a schedule which
limits the minutes (Day one 1 minute Day two 2 minutes etc)per side for
feeds. Some mothers will even use a small hourglass to monitor the time
the baby is at breast.

I am not trying to imply that test weighing or noting the timing of
feeds is in and of itself wrong. I would just like to point out that -
sometimes - it can get taken too far, and may be damaging to the
breastfeeding relationship.

Questions that I usually consider, before going to the "numbers" are:

Does the baby have enough access to the breast?
What is the baby doing when he is at the breast- is the latch and
position effective?
What is the baby's suck like- how does the mother describe it?
Many times starting here has helped to work through breastfeeding
issues.  Just a thought, not a criticism.

Take Care,
Aileen Emerling
Tokyo Japan

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